vowed artifical reef proponents. 



Through the years, a virtual fleet of vessels — from 

 military ships to fishing boats — have been placed on reef 

 sites. Obsolete military planes also add dimension to some 

 sites. But ships can cause other headaches. 



"It has become cost prohibitive to clean the paint, 

 PCBs, asbestos and other toxic materials from ships," 

 Francesconi notes. On average, the cost of stripping and 

 cleaning is $30,000 for a small vessel up to hundreds of 

 thousands for a large military vessel. 



Ideally, reef material should provide high relief on 

 flat bottoms, Francesconi explains. "The more edge — 

 the boundary between reef material and expanse of sand 

 — the higher the productivity of desirable fish species." 



That's why some fishing organizations began to 

 invest in reef balls in recent years. Francesconi also 

 continues to scout for other "clean" material that may be 

 available — storm sewer pipe, bridge superstructure and 3 

 concrete rubble. 1 



A barge stripped of mechanical elements also is 

 suitable as a platform for high profile materials anchored Rita Merritt says the Wrightsville Beach King Mackerel Tournament is ready to 

 to its deck in concrete. invest in reef balls. 



NEW LIFE, OLD SCHOOLHOUSES 



Jim Bahen, North Carolina Sea Grant recreational fishing 



specialist, jokes about having taught on an artificial reef. The barge, 



Alton Lennon, once was a classroom at Cape Fear Community 



College. It now sits in 78 feet of water off Masonboro Inlet at AR- 



386, otherwise known as "Schoolhouse Reef." 



"There is no doubt that we are seeing unusual fish around 



artificial reefs — bigger fish and more tropical species," Bahen says. 

 Mac Currin, a recreational angler and member of the state's 



Marine Fisheries Commission, calls artificial reefs "wonderful 



devices." 



"They identify discrete near-shore areas that have bottom 

 structures that the small boat owner can access," Currin says. "They 

 have given life to areas previously without habitat structures and are 

 heavily utilized." 



North Carolina's program is one of the premier state-managed 

 programs in the country, Bahen adds. "It's a good story of partner- 

 ships with positive results. With no recreational fishing license fee, 

 DMF relies on the clubs to purchase the material and pay for its 

 transportation to the port. The recreational fishing clubs stepped up to 

 provide the financial support for the well-organized DMF program." 



Artificial reefs also get high grades from divers who appreciate 

 the diversity of marine life that swarms about artificial reefs. 



Just ask Roy Taylor, co-owner of Aquatic Safaris & Divers 

 Emporium in Wilmington, who has been diving for more than a 

 decade. 



As a marine biology major at the University of North Carolina 



at Wilmington, his senior project was on the productivity of artificial 

 reefs. He was there to video life on the Markham, a 320-foot dredge, 

 just after it was deployed in the mid-1990s onto AR-386, "School- 

 house Reef." Two days later, he was documenting the presence of fish. 



"Now a few years later, it is one of my favorite diving destina- 

 tions," he says. It is fully encrusted with algae and barnacles. "It is 

 truly a sea fantasy with species such as the Christmas tree worm, the 

 colorful damsel, butterfly and angel fish." 



His conclusions about artificial reefs, then and now? "Artificial 

 reefs attract an abundance of marine life," says Taylor. 



STEADFAST EFFORTS 



The Long Bay Artificial Reef Association was the first to "step 

 up" to support the program. When the organization was chartered in 

 1984, it held one artificial reef permit under old regulations. Under the 

 new program, it "sponsors" seven artificial reef sites. 



"Once you plant a reef, it's not going away. The community 

 continues to reap benefits," says Dale McDowell, Long Bay president. 



Along the Brunswick County coast, recreational fishing was not a 

 big tourist draw before the club began its reef enhancement program, 

 he says. "Now, a big money King Mackerel tournament attracts 

 professional kingsmen," McDowell says. 



Enhancing the artificial reefs makes economic sense. According 

 to a National Marine Fisheries Service report, recreational fishing 

 pumped nearly $2 million into the state's coastal economy between 

 1999 and 2000. 



Continued 



COASTWATCH 9 



